Outdoor Explorer - Alaska Public Media

Every year at the end of August in the Black Rock Desert of northwest Nevada, Black Rock City is built, and for about a week it becomes the third largest city in Nevada, with around 60,000 inhabitants. It is the host city for the annual event called Burning Man and it has all the amenities you’d expect to see in any other city of this size. It has with bars, restaurants, bike shops, clothing boutiques, auto mechanics and recreation centers. But the thing that differentiates this city from other American cities is that nothing at Burning Man is bought or sold, traded or bartered; Black Rock City runs on a gift economy. Every resident is expected to participate, and to bring something to contribute for the common good. What you decide to contribute – that’s up to you.On this episode of Outdoor Explorer host Adam Varrier explores Burning Man. He speaks with Cherie Yanek. She’s the race director for the annual Burning Man Ultramarathon, which takes place in the middle of the week at 5 o’clock in the morning, to beat the mid-day desert heat. In the second half of the show, we hear from the artist Miguel Guzman about the art piece he created along with his partner, Iyvone Khoo, using recycled and biodegradable materials including Mycelium. The sculpture is presented in an area of Burning Man called “Deep Playa," which is open desert, some distance from the tent city that holds the occupants of Black Rock City. The art piece represents the Mayan Rain God, Chaac, and our conversation took place at around 3:00am under a full moon and the stars of the Milky Way galaxy stretching from horizon to horizon across the night sky.HOST: Adam VarrierGUESTS:Cherie Yanek, race director for the annual Burning Man UltramarathonMiguel Guzman and Iyvone Khoo, artistsLINKS:Burning Man websiteBurning Man Ultramarathon 50kMiguel Guzman's Instagram pageIyvone Khoo's websiteBROADCAST: Thursday, September 28th, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKTREPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, September 28th, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

Alaska author Don Rearden grew up in Southwest Alaska living and observing rural life. His books "Raven's Gift," a novel, and "Without A Paddle," a collection of poems, reflect his Alaska experiences and life. Don also co-authored books featuring two of Alaska's professional military rescuers. Don joins host Paul Twardock to discuss Alaska's culture, history and environment and how they influenced his writing.HOST: Paul TwardockGUEST: Don Rearden, authorLINK:Don Rearden's website

Joe Kurtak embodies a modern day Alaskan. He was raised at a remote mining camp in eastern California, went to college, then came to Alaska in 1971 for a summer job. He quickly fell for everything the Great Land had to offer, especially its geology. Joe worked for 40 years mapping Alaska's geology while working for both private firms and the federal government. Along the way he also pursued his love of skiing and sea kayaking. On this Outdoor Explorer Joe shares his wealth of knowledge of Alaska's geology, including Prince William Sound, and some of his many adventures with host Paul Twardock. HOST: Paul TwardockGUEST: Joe KurtakLINKS:"Mine in the Sky : The History of California's Pine Creek Tungsten Mine and the People Who Were Part of It""Of Rock and Ice: An Explorer's Guide to the Geology of Prince William Sound, Alaska"Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol

HOST: Paul TwardockGUESTS:Jessica Cherry, editor of "Wheels on Ice"Andromeda Romano-Lax, author, contributor to "Wheels on Ice"LINKS:"Wheels on Ice"More than a century of tales from the trails in ‘Wheels on Ice: Stories of Cycling in Alaska’BROADCAST: Thursday, August 3rd, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKTREPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, August 3rd, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

Many Alaskans have helped preserve the open spaces we enjoy. Their hard work, dedication and perseverance gave us our state parks, trails and environmental standards that we enjoy. This Outdoor Explorer features Peg Tileston. Peg has been active in organizations including the Alaska Center for the Environment (now called the Alaska Center), the Alaska Women’s Environmental Network, the Alaska Conservation Foundation, the Alaska Water Resource Board, Trustees for Alaska, the Alaska and Alaska Common Ground. She has also been on the board of Chugach Electric Association, the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Council, and the Anchorage Recycling Task Force to name a few. She has received numerous awards including being inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame. Along the way she explored much of Alaska. She joins host Paul Twardock to discuss her many contributions and adventures.HOST: Paul TwardockGUEST: Peg TilestonLINKS:Alaska Women's Hall of FameAlaska CenterAlaska Common GroundAlaska Conservation FoundationTrustees for AlaskaBROADCAST: Thursday, July 20th, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKTREPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, July 20th, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

People come to Alaska for a variety of reasons. Award-winning photographer Mark Kelley came with the hopes of meeting a whale, and almost 50 years later, he’s still here. On this episode of Outdoor Explorer host Martha Rosenstein and Kelley talk about the challenges of photographing wildlife in Alaska, turning his passion into a career and what it’s like to return to a special spot year after year to observe and photograph bears.HOST: Martha RosensteinGUEST: Mark KellyLINKS:Mark Kelly PhotographyFacebookInstagramBROADCAST: Thursday, June 1st, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKTREPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, June 1st, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

In March, Ben Americus accomplished many firsts on the Linkup: the first late winter completion, the first to ski off the peaks and the first to complete the Linkup since Ptarmigan Peak was added as the 13th summit over 5000 feet. This week on Outdoor Explorer Ben joins host Lisa Keller to talk about how he added his name to Chugach Front Linkup history.HOST: Lisa KellerGUEST: Ben AmericusLINKS:Chugach Front Linkup websiteAlaska Public Media Outdoor Explorer, May 2018, “The 12-Peak Challenge and Chugach Trails.”Alaska Public Media Outdoor Explorer, October 25, 2019, “Imagine hiking all the tallest summits of the Chugach Front Range in one trip. These people did it this year.”Alaska Public Media Outdoor Explorer, March 10, 2020, “Sophia Tidler’s Winter Solstice Adventure.”

What was it like to be a field scientist in Alaska during the 1970s and 80's? John Schoen spent 20 years working for Alaska's Department of Fish and Game as a scientist studying Sitka black-tailed deer, mountain goats and brown bears in the Tongass National Forest. John's research influenced the prevailing thoughts on the effects of clearcutting on deer habitat, and added to our understanding of Brown Bears importance to their ecosystem. His strong conservation ethic, influenced by Aldo Leopold and others, melded with science and advocacy continued after he left Fish and Game to work for Audubon Alaska. John is a wealth of knowledge for anyone interested in field science, the Tongass temperate rainforest, and conservation. John joins host Paul Twardock to discuss his fascinating career and memoir titled "Tongass Odyssey: Seeing the Forest Ecosystem Through the Politics of Trees, A Biologist's Memoir."HOST: Paul TwardockGUEST:John Schoen, author, former Fish and Game field scientistLINKS:"Tongass Odyssey: Seeing the Forest Ecosystem Through the Politics of Trees: ABiologists Memoir"More information about John SchoenSoutheast Alaska Conservation CouncilThe Landmark Trees ProjectAudubon AlaskaPrince William Sound Natural History SymposiumBROADCAST: Thursday, May 4th, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKTREPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, May 4th, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

HOST: Lisa KellerGUEST: Harlow Robinson, executive director of Healthy Futures and the Alaska Sports Hall of FameLINKS:Alaska Sports Hall of FameHealthy Futures 100 Miles in May

HOST: Lisa KellerGUESTS: Steve Cleary, Executive Director of Alaska TrailsDonnie Hayes, Director of Parks and Recreation for the Fairbanks North Star BoroughMark Kimerer,

HOST: Paul TwardockGUESTS: Randy Dowd, Executive Director and founder of Onward and UpwardOnward and Upward StaffLINKS:Onward and Upward websiteFacebookInstagramYoutubeBROADCAST: Thursday, March 16th, 2022. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKTREPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, March 16th, 2022. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

HOST: Paul TwardockGUEST: Steve Mock, Denali Rescue Volunteers, the Alex Lowe Foundation, and the Khumbu Climbing CenterLINKS:Denali Rescue VolunteersKhumbu Climbing CenterDenali Climbing HistoryAlex Lowe Foundation

HOST: Lisa KellerGUEST: Beth Bragg, former sports editor at the Anchorage Daily News